Extension-foot for ladders.



H. VEROW & FA. SOUCCIE.

EXTENSION FOOT FOR LADDERS.. APPLICATION .HLED AUG. 17. 1915.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

I 27 ammw H VervM f f kgowaala HENRY vnaow AND rnamminn r. sonccrn, orBREWER, MAINE.

EXTENSION-FOOT FOR LADDERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Man. as, rare.

Application filed August 17, 1915. Serial No. 45,970.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that we, HENRY Vnnow and FERDINAND P. Souoora, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Brewer, in the county of Penobscot andState of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inExtension-Feet for Ladders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ladders and like devices, andhas for one of its objects to provide a simply constructed attachmentwhereby one or both sides of the ladder may be extended to enable theladder to be supported upon uneven surfaces and which does not interferewith the ordinary uses of the ladder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certainnovel features of construction as hereinafter shown and described andthen specifically pointed out in the claims; and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention' Figure 1 is afront elevation of the lower portion of a ladder, partly in section,

with the improvement applied; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the partsshown in Fig. 1 with the covering plate detached; Fig. 3 represents aperspective view of a portion of the round of the ladder and theslidable pawl member, detached and separated.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The improved device may be applied without material structural change,to ordinary ladders, step ladders, and like devices, and in the drawingsillustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, the device isshown applied to an ordinary ladder, the

side members of the ladder being indicated conventionally at 10-11 andtwo of the rounds at 12-13, the round 13 being the lowermost round ofthe ladder. The round 13 is preferably formed tubular, for instance asection of gas or steam piping, and is provided with longitudinal slotsnear the ends, one of which is represented at 14c.

Formed in the outer surfaces of thesides 1011 are longitudinal recesses,one of which is represented at 15, and opening downwardly through thelower ends of the sides. The'recesses 15 are covered by plates 16secured in any suitable manner to the ladder sides, as for instance byscrews, one of I which is represented at 17 Slidably disposed in thechannel 15 is an extension member 18 having a lateral foot 19 at thelower end and provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 20 near theupper end. The foot 19 is also provided with an extension 21 projectmglnwardly of the inner face of the ladder side to form a foot rest toenable the member 18 to be projected by pressure applied by the foot ofthe operator. A spring 22 is connected at one end at 23 to the extensionmember 18, and at the other end preferably to the round 12 next abovethe tubular round 13, as shown at 24, and operating to maintain themember 18 yieldably in its withdrawn position, as shown at the right ofFig. 1 and in Fig. 2.

.Slidably disposed in the tubular round 13 isa pawl device 25 having awedge-shaped projection 26 to engage the ratchet teeth 20,

one at a time. Connected to the pawl member 25, is a stud 27 extendingthrough the slot 14 in convenient position to be actuated by one of thefingers of the operator. A spring 28 is located within the tubularmember 13 and exerts its force against the pawl member 25 to maintainthe same yieldvably in its outer position.

For the purpose of illustration, each of the sides of the ladder isshown provided with one of the extension members 18 and its attachments,but it will be understood that the ladder may be constructed with one ofthe extensions only in one of its sides, without departing from theprinciple of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. A guarddevice 29 is shown connected to the ladder sides below the tubular roundmember 13 to guard the studs 27 and prevent their accidental operation.

The lower face of the foot member 19 is preferably formed hollowed orconcaved, as shown in Fig. 2, to enable it .:to grip the ground morethoroughly when in use. The member 18, together with its foot 192l, arepreferably constructed integral and of malleable iron, steel or thelike. The memlost of the side members having an outwardly and downwardlyopenin guideway, a tubular round connecting sal side members andcommunicating by its interior -with the guideway, an extension memberincluding a stock slidable in said guideway and having a plurality ofratchet teeth, a cover for the outwardly opening portion of saidguideway, and a spring pressed pawl operating,

'1,177,oee

and counicating by its interior with the 'guideway and having alongitudinal slot,

an extension member including a stock slidable in said guideway andhaving a plurality of ratchet teeth, a cover for the outwardlyopeningportion of said guideway, a spring pressed pawl operating in saidtubular round and engaging said ratchet teeth,

' and a pin carried by said pawl and extending through the slot of thetubular round. I

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

HENRY VEROW. his [1,. 8-]

' FERDINAND r. x souccm. 8.]

' mark

